Voleur de Roses

Ugh this is absolute perfection. It reminds me of noir de noir on my skin (tom ford) which is my signature fragrance. I feel like this is Noir de Noir's younger, softer sister that still has intensity about her but it's yet to fully develop. The rose and patchouli here is blended masterfully. It's neither cold nor overly "warm" (HIPPY) but rather realistic, seductive and enticing. The plum works extraordinarily well in adding in a softness that balances out this majestic concoction- some say plum doesn't have a scent and therefore cannot be detected. Have any of you ever smelled overripe, nearly rotting plum? It has a sweet, pungent odor - the one captured in this frag. On some this smells like moldy rotting earth and fruit. Skin chemistry plays a huge role in this scent. On me this frag unfolds and develops in a beautiful manner. It starts off with a similar blast that noir de noir does - pure oily rose followed by a heady yet fresh patchouli note that is not overpowering. It settles into a wet rose (like it just rained during a hot, humid day and all the flowers are unfolding giving off aroma) with crushed patchouli leaves, perhaps a slight tobacco note as well - very ashy but NOT unpleasant. This would be a perfect night-time scent and I can see it rising like steam off someone in the middle of winter, as this is more of a fall/winter frag. It is intense, sillage is quite huge for an EDT and longevity fairly long for me. All patchoulis tend to stick around for a long period of time. Eventually everything gets saturated with that signature patchouli scent (or stench depending on your preference). A love song... a dark romance.... a bleeding rose, tears dripping from the petals onto the fresh soil underneath. If you hate patchouli steer clear of this one even though it is VERY sample worthy just to catch a whiff of the beautiful, realistic rose. Price online (ebay) is incredible for a niche frag of this quality. Get it under $100!

It is all about luxurious sex. Voleur de Roses by L’Artisan Parfumeur is a perfume of the body and the smells of being a bad boy all of which is sure to shock some in its honest sensuality. It is the lingering scent of a lover’s body when you crawl back into bed just after they have gone. It is daring, bold and utterly divine! Created by the nose, Michel Almairac who has a great collection of creations to his name among which you will find seven in the Bond 9 house, six in Burberry, and such classics as Gucci Pour Homme and Minotaur by Poloma Picasso. Voleur de Roses is a woody oriental for men that a woman could wear with confidence. A brazen blending of three notes it is linear and lovely from start to finish. The brilliant mixing of patchouli rose and plum is deceptive in its simplicity. The opening is lush as the fragrance envelopes you like the arms of a lover. It holds you close for a good six to eight hours and like the sent of a lover is close to the skin after about two hours. Before it retreats to the flesh it projects about three feet. Voleur de Roses is not only sexy and warm but at its heart it is chic, urbanely rich and refined. If you are a sensual person by nature, a person who luxuriates in your body and lives a life of grand passion then Voleur de Roses is a must for your collection. But be warned. If you dare to wear Voleur de Roses you may begin to write a blazing new page in your own life story. To have a reputation is ordinary to be come a legend is extraordinary. FIVE PLATINUM STARS ***** (For the entire story and review check out my blog Scents Memory)

I am surprised of how accurate some of the reviews for Voleur de Roses are. The opening definitely reminds me of thunderstorm in a lush garden; I immediately had this image of very dark clouds thundering above a rose garden in spring or summer. Incredible! The scent conveys as well the feeling one experiences when facing the ominous incoming storm, that very fresh ozone charged by a gust of wind: menacing, yet you can't look away. Then I get this strong wet tobacco smell, pungent and aggressive, followed by the scent of slightly rotting fruits; plums or mirabelles indeed, that had fallen from trees and started to decay, their fragrance released in a petrychor blast. When it starts to settle, wet rose bush fuming. These pink roses are silently crying, and you can smell the tears from their broken stems and leaves. However, the patchouli gets stronger as it dries down, with the roses still in the picture, softening the whole ensemble. On clothes, the result wasn't as interesting: smoky patchouli that gets dirtier and dirtier,almost "tea like" in a terribly linear fashion. Overall, Voleur de Roses is a very natural green floral, uncompromising and with lots of character. A bold and unique fragrance with good enough sillage to get its point accross. I like scents that behave with complexity, but manage to convey emotions in a very direct way. A fragrance that is visual, and who has a soul. Voleur de Roses is like that for me. "Liking it" or not is not even the point, I enjoy personnality, and that is enough to seduce me. Tantalizing.

A very nice patchouli and rose combination, the initail blast is of rose and the support is patchouli. very natural smelling and smells better as the rose note dies down a bit. very romantic style scent think dark red rose. The overall scent is very dark,sweet and earthy. The scent reminds me of being a bit greasy. like having a shower and istead of the usual body lotion, i'v put on some middle eastern or asain floral body oil on. This is the kind of scent you want on when going to a fancy restraunt with your wife. Or even for going out with a group of freinds. I do see this as a true unisex scent and not just for men. Also i got hints of Joop homme and realised its the patchouli so i checked the notes for joop and found that, not only does joop homme have patchouli it's also made by michel Almairac the same creater of this great L'artisan scent. Do not expect a niche version of joop here it's only the patchouli and maybe some of the floral notes that are more hidden in this scent otherwise they are completly different. I find the scent sillage good and lasts between 6-8 hours and than very close to the skin. I find a scent in this style is better off being a little closer to the skin than projecting too much imo. To me this is a 25 and up scent but can see a younger man of classy style pulling this off. If you enjoy paco Rabbane Black XS or Joop Homme you may enjoy this scent. For me It's a very well made scent that usses top quality ingredients. Scent 8.5/10

Here's not a surprise, I smell patchouli, plums, woods, perhaps some incense (not unlike the dry incense of Cabaret), cold wet stones, and of course dark lush red roses. There is a dash of something deliciously edible too, a warm bread like note as it dries down. I am reminded of Mon Parfum Cheri par Camille (recalled that dusty wine coloured velvet and patch) which led me to Bottega Veneta eau de velours too, a sweeter plum velvet and patch. Voleur, Velours! There is camphor in that patch and a "red wine on suede" like nuance, but both add to this rich and earthy concoction. Breaking down the notes, means this beauty perhaps sounds a bit rank, but this is gorgeous. VdR is both damp, stemmy and dusty dry. It is both old and as fresh as a dew dropped red rose just burst into bloom. I'm only sorry it took me so long to try this, as Voleur de Rose's overall aura is luscious. An earthy plum wine rose. Certainly wearable, dark and beautiful. Is this not the epitome of the rose patchouli perfumes, that inspired all the others that followed? And yes, this is a compliment getter. My friend wears this (to the school pick up!) and she has reported of plenty of people randomly asking her what's the lovely perfume she's wearing while she is out and about. VdR has stolen my heart. (Ah-ha! a "Love" no wonder - just noticed Michel Almairac. who possibly took elements of VdR to both Cabaret de Gres and Bottega Veneta eau de Velours? love them all.)

Rose. Patchouli. There's not a lot to add to that when talking about ingredients, but I gotta say that both main notes are fabulously mannered. What I got in the beginning is a highly fragrant full-bloom rosebush. Naturally, the flowers themselves are the strongest, but it seems like you can feel the leaves, thorns, even the earth beneath. With the scent evolution, I have the feeling like that same roses are withering in front of my eyes, still staying strong in the heart, but now with added patchouli, and losing their strength with time, giving the reign to an earthy patchouli drydown. That's it for me, no plum or fruit whatsoever. All that being said, I think I can see why some reviewers use words like gothic and medieval to describe this scent - it really has some darkness within. Voleur de Roses has a solid presence, with decent projection and fine, almost double-digit longevity. I'll agree with some reviews, and the L'Artisan site itself, about this being fairly unisex. I could mostly see myself wearing this in cold time of year, with a coat and a scarf, or autumn with a blazer and shirt. I don't think this scent fits with too casual style and is a bit heavy for warmer parts of the year. If you're not familiar with patch-rose combo, this may be a good place to start. If you are and you like it, you would really have to try this. This is certainly my favorite of the genre. 9/10

Masterpiece. Specially if you consider that this beauty was made in 1993, years before Noir de Noir, White Patchouli, Javanese Patchouli, etc. I feel the plum note quite present. It's not the usual plum that we're used to like in Poison or Femme de Rochas. Instead, it's close to the Japanese salty plum: Umeboshi. I was used to ate one umeboshi a day, the first thing that I ate in the morning, in order to heal my constant migraine. Natural medicine hint came from a friend. After one year or so doing it, I have never ever had an headache... Anyway, back to Voleur. This umeboshi note is there, as this beauty is a little salty. Also, patch and roses, of course. Some might think that patchouli overcomes the roses but not; the red roses are playing their bass notes, while patch hits higher earthy and camphor-like notes. Sometimes, not always, I get a hint of myrrh and, at intervals, some cumin. But maybe it's my imagination. Yes, it is gothic in the means of reminding a little religious: old church, earth graves, roses, black, red, incense... Not for everyone, but at the same time, quite eclectic. Could easily e worn by a gothic teenager, as well as by a Hermès-like woman, by a dandy male (or female) writer and, by any well-manered mam. Therefore, quite unisex, as any beauty. Also, paradoxal: ethereal and earth-based.

This is the first L'Artisan fragrance I have ever smelled, and I must say - I'm in love. I can't wait to try the rest of this house. Voleur De Roses is beautiful. It's sexy, it's rosy (but this is not your Grandmother's rose) and it's alcoholic/heady - I'm guessing I get that from the plum? It's demure, divine, and a little standoffish. It's also very unisex (on my skin, anyway). I first got a sample of this among other rose scents (another favourite was Jo Malone's Velvet Rose & Oud) and to be honest, I didn't like this at first. It was too strong, not sweet enough, a little strange. But I gave it another chance, and soon became addicted. I peeled back the layers of this initially stand-offish scent and saw this fragrance for what it is. It's romance, passion and sensuality in a bottle. There's also a heavy sprinkling of some gloom and jealousy in there. Someone below me described this as 'heart-breaking' and I 100% agree. It's a perfect storm of emotions. It's beautiful and bitter at the same time. It's fantastic. I really, really can't wait til I can get my hands on a full bottle of this.

This sneaky little thief has stolen my heart as well as the roses. Where do I even start? First, it's not really a rose scent, it's a patchouli scent highlighted with roses. Some find it morbid since it reminds them of soil, mold, dust, all the things that come with abandonment, decay and death. I have a brighter picture in mind though. For me it's a bunch of beautiful floribundas growing in an old garden. It's nighttime, the rain has just stopped, and there's a little creature crawling out from the dark with the intention of picking the roses. There is a smell of petrichor in the air. We can't blame the little thief, the roses are too beautiful! So yeah, my fantasy is also gothic, but funny too. I love wearing this fragrance on rainy days, especially in the evening. I'll put it on and go out for a walk in the forest near my house, inhaling the mix of petrichor and Voleur de Roses, and I couldn't be happier. It really gives me the feeling of inner peace. I treasure the remains of the liquid of my bottle because I can't seem to find it in the shops anymore.

I got this as a blind buy but I got a bit scared after reading people's problems with longevity/sillage. No regrets here! It's by no means a room filler, but on my skin it lasts around 4-7 hours, and longer if I'm not moving about as much. I do have the older bottle (and formulation, I'm assuming) with the red label, not the bottle pictured above. It opens with a big blast of patchouli and sweet rose with a cool plum rounding it out. It's a pretty linear scent, maintaining a pretty equal play of that patchouli and rose. The patchouli can get a bit dank but that's what I like about it--it's not a bright and feminine rose, nor is it the dark and tempting rose/oud (though it has a similar woody/earthy + floral quality). Someone said this reminded them of roses in a garden after the rain--I'd say that's true, only maybe it's been a few hours after the shower, and these roses have been sitting on a forest floor. It's definitely unisex. Out of all the rose fragrances in the world, this one's definitely on the more masculine side, but it's perfectly unisex.

I blind bought this after researching my latest obsession, a dark, mysterious, gothic-Victorian scent, and VdR cropped up more than a few times. I’ve read many great reviews about this perfume house and have been eager to try, so I took the plunge. Upon first spray I was overjoyed, exactly what I was looking for; the damp rose garden after the rain on a dark grey day and the rain is threatening again. Ok, I got carried away with the marketing, I’m officially a sucker. The opening does not last nearly long enough before it turns on its heels and leaves you quicker than apple can churn out a new iPhone leaving a faint whisper of earthy patchouli that’s awkwardly not quite sure if it should stay or follow its damp rosey friend. I don’t entirely regret my purchase but I I’ve come to understand that a relationship with VdR is a game of cat and mouse involving constant pursuit, near captures, and repeated escapes. UPDATE: But it's worth it. This scent is so divine. I want to roll around in wet red roses and be generally amazing. It's pure escapism ❤️

For years and years I found Artisan to be a good brand, but not for me. Quite a few of their scents had this 'dusty' characteristic I was not really fond of. Except for one, the scents did not attract me except for the most lovely names. By chance, I got to try Voleur de Roses. I must say I do love roses. And this is one of the most amazing roses scents I have tried except for Calypso by Robert Piguet. Knowing it came out way before quite a few others rose-patchouli combos, I do see it quite groud-breaking. The rose in Voleur is very pure and soft and quite sweet thanks to the plum (that on my skin really comes out nice, juicy and fresh). Plum is one of my favourite fruits ever, and this smells just like the plums my grandparents used to pick up in their allotment. Not like the genetically-modified, water-pumped stuff you get in supermarkets, but the tiny, mature plums straight from the tree we made jams from in late summer/early autumn. For me, this is love and I will gladly wear it all times of year.

Mi è arrivata una bottiglia dell'edizione vecchia,trasparente col tappo dorato,ed è meravigliosa. Un profumo intricato inizialmente,evoca subito un'immagine di campagna, case vecchie in pietra, atmosfera gotica,medievale,scura. Vedo un cesto di mele gialle appoggiato per terra,da qualche parte c'è un caminetto acceso,nella vecchia casa di campagna non c'è nessuno. Profumo morbido e fluido,percepisco molta umidità zuccherina,appunto le mele gialle,odore ricreato dalla prugna,il gioco delle rose sottointende un piccolo cuore che sembra speziato,succoso. E' un profumo splendido per giornate invernali di pioggia,si fonde con l'atmosfera un po malinconica e autunnale,ma non porta tristezza,è solo nostalgico. In certi momenti sento una nota pungente,quasi balsamica e mi piace,porta quel tocco di legno vecchio, di antica cassapanca o armadi delle case stregate e dei vecchi castelli che lo rende veramente affascinante.

Pink Patchouli. Voleur de Roses (VdR) has a strong opening that smells like nail polish. Luckily that opening lasts few seconds and fades to reveal the inner beauty of VdR. Green patchouli, tender & soft roses, and a touch of leathery spiciness. Smells like a mixture between the simple patchouli that is D&G's Velvet Patchouli & the gorgeous YSL Elle. Fresh yet intimate. The smell of a middle-aged poet, at his warmly-lit desk, between stacks of paper. There is probably more than just 3 notes. Tell me there are some citruses here to freshen the scent & I'd believe you. Tell me there is a dash of cinnamon & I'd believe you. Such a scent is VdR. Can be causal or formal. It fits any scenario you put it in, bright or melancholic. In here, beauty lies in simplicity. A cool weather, more mature scent of any sex. "Love"

benchè sia stato commercializzato come un profumo da uomo, trovo questa fragranza non solo femminile, ma anche estremamente sensuale. sono poche le note impiegate -rosa, patchouli, prugna- pensate più di vent'anni fa dal talentuoso Michel Almairac (che per l'artisan ha realizzato esclusivamente questa gemma) molto tempo prima del diffondersi di tutta quella miriade di bouquet basati su piramidi simili, in gran voga al momento, grazie anche alle influenze della profumeria orientale. il profumo è asciutto, secco, profondissimo, meravigliosamente bilanciato, con sentori iniziali di rosa, quasi secca, e prugna. poco alla volta compare il patchouli che conferisce un'impressione deliziosamente gotica all'insieme. uno dei miei preferiti profumi de l'artisan; il mio favorito tra gli accordi alla rosa. notevolissimo.

This perfume certainly surprised me most from among the L’Artisan perfumes I’ve tried, in a very pleasant way. On spraying, an amalgam of soft patchouli and sweetened plum greeted me. A bouquet of fresh roses followed, the scent strong and then slowly diminishing. While the roses receded, the entire scent morphed into Noir de Noir but rosier than Noir de Noir. Eventually the dry down is like Noir de Noir and then slowly died down to nothingness. Might be totally different from everyone else’s reviews but each note I sensed were strong enough to warrant that it was not a figment of my imagination. If I don’t already own Noir de Noir, this would be on my wishlist. A Noir de Noir that’s rosier and with a truffle note that is not listed. Rather interesting.

I bought a sample of this about a year ago, and fell hard for its moody, melancholy beauty. I would forget I was wearing it only to feel it whispering up hours later. I used up the sample immediately. Fast forward 6 months and I got a great deal on a full bottle, but after only a couple of wearings decided to sell it on, as it’s simply too ethereal. Not sure if I’m remembering wrong, but it seems to disappear almost instantly. Or maybe I just have less patience for subtle scents these days. Regardless, those looking for a quiet perfume with lots of brooding atmosphere should love this. As others have said, I find VdR to be far more about patchouli than rose or plum. Very unisex, suitable in most weather, especially dark and stormy nights.

Alluring...earthy, and eminently unisex. In fact, this is not the sort of scent I personally like my man to wear--it suits me perfectly on a rainy, Northwest evening, cuddling at home on the sofa in front of the fireplace. At times, the plummy rose is larger, at others, the patchouli. Depends on the body chemistry du jour. However it is always mysterious, bewitching, and evocative. Voleur de Roses completely debunked the idea that I don't like rose scents, probably because the sweet virginal rose is nowhere to be found. While I wouldn't place this is the masterpiece category, it is a timeless scent that withstands current scent fads to find a home on my full bottle perfume shelf.

Ho la versione degli anni 90 col tappo dorato e rotondo e quella successiva col tappo dorato ma esagonale. La versione di lancio era forse un po più fruttata e densa,ma non si differenzia molto dalla seconda. Quella ultima con le bottiglie tutte grige e tappi grigi non la ricordo. L'effetto è sempre quello di una casa antica,umida, un ambiente gotico,misterioso, cantine o sotterranei del castello del vampiro.. Sicuramente delude quelli che si aspettano i profumini di rose finte,ingenui e da principessa disney. Questo è un profumo per anime nostalgiche,magiche, misteriose, per circostanze non chiassose,non solari.

I never thought it was a perfume for men. It feels extremely feminine to me! A friend of mine send me a sample and I fell in love, and I want it so badly...The first impression is deceiving - you smell something moldy and damp.But in some time it begins to unveil like a magnificent embroidered shawl. It plays with the skin, taking this, adding that - an earthy smell of an autumn garden, the last roses that desperately bloom before their time comes.Several times I caught the unusual sweet scent and every time it was different - and it took me a while to realize it was the Stolen Rose, on my own skin.